Many have likely heard the phrase about the artist and his muse. But few have probably been to art shows that have focused entirely on the relationship between an artistic giant and the people who inspired his art.

The Vancouver Art Gallery has launched an exhibit called "Picasso: The Artist and His Muses," focusing on the works of Pablo Picasso and the women in his life who helped shape his work.

The show features 62 works by Picasso, one of the masters of Modernism known for his enormous contribution to art in the 20th century before his death in 1973.

The exhibition takes visitors through the lives of Picasso's intimate partners including Fernande Olivier, Marie-Therese Walter, Dora Maar and Jacqueline Roque. They were all important figures in Picasso's personal life and strongly influenced the development of his career.

Tatiana Mellema, public programs coordinator at Vancouver Art Gallery, said on Thursday this was the most significant Picasso exhibition in Western Canada and was actually the largest exhibition of Picasso's work ever held in Vancouver.

"It's looking at the impact that different women whom Picasso was with had in his life but also in his creative practice. So with each partnership, there were really creative conversations and inspiration that helped push him into new directions ... and different sorts of stylistic modes such as Cubism, through to Surrealism, through to Classicism," Mellema said.

The exhibition presents several major works that altered the course of European art history. Each of Picasso's muses is depicted in a room that features the art from that period of his life.

Film student and art lover Christine Wei said she had long been interested in Picasso, but knew very little about the inspiration for so much of his work.

"I think what's interesting is the transition between the muses... there's this emotional change between each series of the work, and you can kind of see it through the color schemes and the composition of it," Wei said while looking at Picasso's paintings.

The works of art were curated from 10 different countries around the world and include priceless pieces from both private and public museum collections. The exhibition continues at the Vancouver Art Gallery through Oct. 2.

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